With the renewed and ever expanding interest in Stirling engines, efforts have been made to continually improve upon their efficiency. Basic Stirling engine principals of operations are set forth in a text entitled "Stirling Engines" by G. Walker, 1st Edition, 1980. Essentially, in this regard, a Stirling engine operates on the principal of heating and cooling a working fluid (gas), with the expansion and compression of the gas utilized to perform useful work. The engine may include a single or plurality of pistons and cylinders, depending upon the particular application and a variety of designs are illustrated in the aforenoted text with their attendant advantages.
As part of this improvement, ceramics have been incorporated in high temperature situations typical Stirling engines, particularly in the combustion area. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,862,542, issued Jan. 28, 1975, shows the use of a heat-insulating heater/burner jacket made out of a ceramic material in the burner/heater space of a hot-gas engine (Stirling). The stated purpose jacket is to contain the flame and to direct hot combustion products (gases) around the heater head for proper heat transfer to the working fluid. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,363, issued Oct. 30, 1979, a ceramic fiber mat is used to protect the cylinder head against the high flame temperature of the burner.
However, while such arrangements may be useful, the manner of installing the ceramic material has many drawbacks since it may be subject to damaging vibrations and expansion and contraction of adjacent members, which may occur in high temperature Stirling engine operation.